The present invention generally relates to the field of fall protection devices which are attached to roofs of building structures and, more particularly, to a more universal fall protection device in relation to any one or more of roof pitch, roof overhang, and facia board height.
Construction work can be a very dangerous profession. More and more regulations are being put into effect to address the safety of construction workers. One example is in relation to roofing work where construction workers are installing or repairing a roofing structure. Rooftop fall protection devices which meet certain requirements are now required by OSHA for at least certain types of work being done on at least certain types of roofs.
Various rooftop fall protection devices have been proposed in the past. Few if any have met with any degree of commercial success. There are numerous contributing factors. One is the complexity of many of the rooftop fall protection devices. Complex designs mean increased manufacturing costs which are of course passed on to the contractor. Contractors will often have a number of roofing jobs going on at the same time which increases the number of fall protection devices which the contractor must purchase. Many contractors simply cannot afford to maintain an adequate inventory of fall protection devices such that the use of fall protection devices becomes cost prohibitive. Increased complexity of the design of the fall protection device also usually means a large number of parts. As the number of parts increases, so to does the likelihood that one or more of these parts will be lost or misplaced. Lost or misplaced parts may render the fall protection device unusable or unsafe if installed, both of which defeats the purpose of the above-noted regulations.
Installation may also may become an issue if complex designs are implemented in a given rooftop fall protection device. Certain complexly designed fall protection devices may be time consuming to install. Either the construction job will become more expensive or the installation will be done in haste which increases the likelihood of an improper and thereby unsafe installation. Some rooftop fall protection device designs may be so complex that they would require a contractor to spend adequate time, and therefore money, on training personnel on the proper installation and/or use of the fall protection device. This is somewhat unrealistic due to the often transient nature of construction crews where individual crew members often come and go. Without proper training and if the design is complex, the rooftop fall protection device will often be left on the ground or it will be improperly installed. All of these scenarios are undesirable.
Another factor which has likely adversely affected the commercial success of rooftop fall protection systems is the lack of uniformity in rooftop construction. More and more different pitches are being used in current construction projects. Many fall protection devices are designed for use with only a single roof pitch, which means that the contractor would be required to further increase the inventory of rooftop fall protection devices. Those rooftop fall protection devices that may be used on multiple roof pitches likely utilize a complex design. Both of these factors introduce the above-noted types of drawbacks.
Finally, many rooftop fall protection devices simply are not practical for the type of work which must be done on the roof. Any rooftop fall protection device which is disposed on the roofing surface or on the surface on which the roof is to be installed limits the instances in which the device may be used. Consider a situation where the rooftop fall protection device is designed to attach to a deck (e.g., plywood nailed onto the upper surfaces of the roofing rafters). This means that up until the time that the deck is installed, the fall protection device would be unusable. Relatively significant safety issues exist in roofing applications up to the time that the deck is installed. Having the fall protection device installed on the deck or other roofing surface also limits the amount of the roof which may be worked on with the fall protection device installed. How is that portion of the roof between the fall protection device and the edge of the roof to be worked upon? These are just some of the impracticalities associated with some rooftop fall protection device designs which have been proposed.
FIG. 1 presents a rooftop fall protection system 70 which is admitted to be in the prior art and which is installed on a roof 5. Generally, the roof 5 includes a plurality of laterally-spaced rafters 10 (only one shown). One characteristic of the roof 5 relates to the orientation of the rafters 10. Each rafter 10 is disposed at a first angle 65 relative to a horizontal reference plane and which is effectively tantamount to the pitch of the roof 5. Another characteristic of the roof 5 is its overhang which is that portion of the roof 5 which extends beyond a vertically-disposed wall (not shown) which supports the roof 5.
Each rafter 10 includes a first rafter end 15 which is fixed to an at least generally horizontally disposed facia board 40. The rafters 10 extend from this facia board 40 to a peak associated with the roof 5 along a generally longitudinally or axially extending path. Each rafter 10 further includes a first rafter edge surface 25 (xe2x80x9ctopxe2x80x9d surface), a vertically spaced second rafter edge surface 30 (xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d surface), and a pair of laterally spaced rafter side surfaces 35. Roofing materials are installed on the first rafter edge surface 25. The rafters 10 are thereby disposed xe2x80x9con edgexe2x80x9d in the installed position. That is, the distance between the first rafter edge surface 25 and the second rafter edge surface 30 is typically greater than the distance between the pair of rafters side surfaces 35. Typical dimensions used for the rafters 10 include 2xc3x974s. Other dimensions for rafters 10 have been used.
The facia board 40 extends along the edge of the roof 5 and is attached to each of the rafters 10 which interfaces therewith such as by nails or the like. More specifically, the facia board 40 includes a first facia board side surface 45 which projects at least generally away from the roof 5, a second facia board side surface 50 which interfaces with the rafters 10, a first facia board edge surface 55 which projects at least generally xe2x80x9cupwardlyxe2x80x9d, and a vertically spaced second facia board edge surface 60 which projects at least generally xe2x80x9cdownwardly.xe2x80x9d The facia board 40 is thereby disposed xe2x80x9con edgexe2x80x9d in the installed position. That is, the distance between the first facia board edge surface 55 and the second facia board edge surface 60 is typically greater than the distance between the first facia board side surface 45 and the second facia board side surface 50. Various dimensions are now being used for the facia boards 40, including 2xc3x974s, 2xc3x976s, 2xc3x9710s, and 2xc3x9712s.
The fall protection system 70 is installed on the roof 5 to protect workers from falling off the same. One component of the fall protection system 70 is a plurality of stanchions 75 which are spaced along the facia board 40 (only one shown in FIG. 1). Each stanchion 75 is defined by a first stanchion section 80 which is at least generally longitudinally extending and vertically disposed when mounted on the particular roof 5 of FIG. 1, and a second stanchion section 85 which is also least generally longitudinally extending and horizontally disposed when mounted on the particular roof 5 of FIG. 1. As such, the stanchions 75 utilize an L-shaped profile. The stanchions 75 are of an integral structure such that there is no mechanical joint between the first stanchion section 80 and the second stanchion section 85. This integral structure with the noted profile is formed by a bending operation. Another key component of the fall protection system 70 is a plurality of vertically spaced cross-members 92 which extend between at least two of the stanchions 75. In this regard, each stanchion 75 includes a plurality of cross-member brackets 90 which define a pocket in which a given cross-member 92 may be disposed.
Two points of interconnection exist between each stanchion 75 and the roof 5. One is on the facia board 40 and another is on one of the rafter side surfaces 35 of one of the rafters 10. In this regard, each stanchion 75 includes a facia board mounting bracket 95 which is fixed to the second stanchion section 85 (e.g., via welding) and through which an appropriate fastener 105 (e.g., screw) extends into the facia board 40. Each stanchion 75 further includes a rafter mounting bracket 100 which is also fixed to the second stanchion section 85 (e.g., via welding) and to which an appropriate fastener 105 extends into the corresponding rafter 10 through one of its rafter side surfaces 35.
There are a number of key limitations regarding the fall protection system 70 of FIG. 1. One is that the fall protection system 70 was designed for use with a facia board 40 of only one height, or a facia board 40 having only a certain distance between the first facia board edge surface 55 and the second facia board edge surface 60. There is a fixed positional relationship between the facia board mounting bracket 95 and the remainder of the stanchion 75. If a facia board 40 having a height greater than that illustrated in FIG. 1 is used, and if the stanchion 75 is to be retained in the illustrated position with the first stanchion section 80 being disposed perpendicular to the horizontal, the rafter mounting bracket 100 would be too short and could not be properly fixed to the rafter 10. Another key limitation regarding the fall protection system 70 is that it is designed for use with effectively only a single pitch for a roof 5 due to the fixed positional relationship between the rafter mounting bracket 100 and the remainder of the stanchion 75, and further between the facia board mounting bracket 95 and the remainder of the stanchion 75. If the pitch of the roof 5 varied significantly from that illustrated in FIG. 1, and if the stanchion 75 is to be retained in the illustrated position with the first stanchion section 80 being disposed perpendicular to the horizontal, the hole through the rafter mounting bracket 100 may be disposed too close to one of the rafter edge surfaces 25, 30 to provide for a safe installation, or may miss the rafter 10 entirely such that the bracket 100 could not even be attached thereto. In the event that the fall protection system 70 was installed on a roof having a pitch different than that illustrated in FIG. 1 and the stanchion 75 was pivoted relative to the facia board 40 so as to allow the hole through the rafter mounting bracket 100 to be aligned with the rafter 10 at an appropriate location on the rafter, the first stanchion section 80 of the stanchion 75 would no longer be vertically disposed. Moreover, there would not be an abutting relation between the facia board mounting bracket 95 and the facia board 40, or between the rafter mounting bracket 100 and the rafter 10. This all may reduce the effectiveness of the fall protection system 70 in retarding the movement of a worker falling down the roof 5.
The present invention relates to fall protection devices which are attachable to a roof. One roof design on which fall protection devices in accordance with the principles of the present invention may be installed/used includes a facia board and a plurality of rafters. The facia board defines the edge of the roof in that the noted rafters are attached thereto and extend upwardly and away therefrom, such as toward a peak associated with the roof. The facia board includes first and second facia board side surfaces. Typically the first and second facia board side surfaces will be substantially parallel to each other and disposed in an at least substantially vertical orientation when installed on the roof (i.e., perpendicular to a horizontal reference plane). Although facia boards of differing dimensions are now commonly being used in residential construction, one common facia board is a 2xc3x976. In this case the noted first and second facia side surfaces would correspond with surface defined by the 6 inch (actually 5.5 inches) dimension and the length of the facia board, such that the facia board would be installed xe2x80x9con edgexe2x80x9d on the roof (i.e., with the two inch (actually 1.5 inch) dimension defining the thickness of the facia board).
The plurality of rafters are defined herein as extending upwardly and away from the second facia board side surface at a first angle relative to a horizontal reference plane (i.e., relating to/defining a pitch associated with the roof, which may include more than pitch). These rafters are further defined as including a first rafter edge surface on which roofing materials may be installed (e.g., a plywood deck, shingles) and a second rafter edge surface which is opposite the first rafter edge surface (e.g., xe2x80x9cunderneathxe2x80x9d the roof). Although rafters of differing dimensions may be used in roofing applications, one common roofing rafter is a 2xc3x974. In this case the first and second rafter edge surfaces would correspond with the surface defined by the 2 inch (actually 1.5) dimension and the length of the rafter, such that the rafter would be installed xe2x80x9con edgexe2x80x9d on the roof (i.e., with the two inch (actually 1.5 inch) dimension defining the height of the rafter). Typically the end of the rafter which interfaces with the facia board is cut at an angle other than perpendicular to the edge surfaces of the rafter so as to dispose the facia board in the above-noted at least substantially vertical orientation on the roof.
A first aspect of the present invention is embodied in a rooftop fall protection system which includes at least one stanchion. Typically a plurality of these stanchions will be installed along spaced locations on the edge of the roof. At least one, and typically a plurality of, cross-members will extend between and be supported by at least adjacent stanchions to define a barrier of sorts along the edge of the roof which is under construction or repair. How these stanchions are attached to and interface with the roof is effectively the subject of this first aspect of the present invention. In this regard, the subject stanchion includes structure for fixing the stanchion to the first facia board side surface, or that surface of the facia board which is opposite that from which the rafters extend away from the facia board. The subject stanchion further includes means for engaging the second rafter edge surface of one of the plurality of rafters, or that surface of the rafter which is opposite that from which roofing materials are typically installed on the rafters. Preferably these are the only two points of contact between the stanchion and the roof for purposes of xe2x80x9csupportingxe2x80x9d the fall protection system on the roof. As such, the fall protection system in accordance with this first aspect of the present invention does not impair the ability of the construction workers to work on the entirety of the roofing surface.
Various refinements exist in relation to the above-noted features of the subject first aspect of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the subject first aspect of the present invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. The structure for fixing the stanchion to the first facia board side surface may include a mounting bracket. This mounting bracket in turn may include an at least substantially U-shaped section through which a vertically extending portion of the stanchion slidably extends. Collapsing or drawing in the open portion of this U-shaped section may be used to clamp the mounting bracket about the stanchion and maintain such in a fixed position relative to the mounting bracket. Another portion of the mounting bracket may be disposed to interface with the first facia board surface and may include at least one aperture to direct an appropriate fastener therethrough and into the facia board. Preferably this latter portion of the mounting bracket is a substantially planar surface to provide an appropriate interface with the first facia board side surface. Moreover, preferably the mounting bracket extends away from the first facia board side surface a certain distance such that when one of the cross-members is mounted on an adjacent stanchion, an edge thereof will be disposed on or substantially proximate to and uppermost surface of the facia board (e.g., to define a toe board of sorts to reduce the potential for materials sliding down and off the roof). Other types of facia board mounting brackets which include a collar or the like through which the stanchion may slidable extend may be used. Moreover, the position of the stanchion relative to the facia board mounting bracket may be maintained in other manners, such as by the use of one or more set screws or the like.
The structure for engaging the second rafter edge surface of one of the plurality of rafters may be realized through a configuration of the stanchion which directs the stanchion under the facia board and then upwardly into engagement with the second rafter edge surface of one of the rafters. With the stanchion being fixed to the facia board in the above-noted manner and if a force is exerted on that portion of the stanchion which is extending upwardly and away from the roof, the stanchion will exert a compressive force on its associated rafter which makes for a firm interconnection between the stanchion and the roof. A rafter mounting bracket may be provided on the stanchion to reduce the potential for the stanchion being twisted away from a position where it no longer engages the second rafter edge surface of its associated rafter. A suitable fastener (e.g., screw, threaded bolt) may extend through this rafter mounting bracket and into the corresponding rafter (therethrough in the case of the threaded bolt such that a nut could be disposed on the opposite side of the rafter) to positionally fix the stanchion relative to the rafter.
As noted, the stanchion may be configured such that it engages the second rafter edge surface (again, the surface of the rafter opposite that on which roofing materials are typically installed). One configuration of a stanchion which would provide this function is a stanchion which is at least generally J-shaped. Another way of describing this type of stanchion would be a stanchion having first, second, and third stanchion sections, having first and second free ends, and having the second stanchion section being at least generally semi circular or at to define a generally concave shape for the lower portion of the stanchion to go xe2x80x9cdown and aroundxe2x80x9d the facia board. In this regard, the first stanchion section would extend away from the first free end at least generally in a first direction (e.g., downwardly) to one side of the second stanchion section, the second stanchion section would extend underneath the facia board, and the third stanchion section would extend from the other side of the second stanchion section in a second direction (e.g., upwardly) to the second free end for engagement with the second rafter edge surface. It need not be a xe2x80x9cfree endxe2x80x9d of the stanchion that engages the second rafter edge surface, but instead could be any portion of the stanchion or structure interconnected therewith. For instance, a xe2x80x9cbendxe2x80x9d could be formed in the third stanchion section which actually engaged the second rafter edge surface or a generally u-shaped bracket could be incorporated into the structure of the stanchion to engage the second rafter edge surface and at least a portion of the rafter side surfaces of a short segment of the subject rafter. Although the stanchion is described as being multi-sectional, preferably it is of integral (i.e., one piece) construction such that there are no joints between the first and second stanchion sections or between the second and third stanchion sections.
In one embodiment, the stanchion may be formed from a piece of square tubing and may be bent into the above-noted profile. Further increases to the strength of the stanchion may be affected by forming a radius on an upper and lower surface of the square tube which will define the surface of the second stanchion section which projects toward the undersurface of the facia board and the surface of the second stanchion section which projects away from the undersurface of the facia board, respectively. These radii may extend toward each other to define opposing concavities for the xe2x80x9cupperxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d surfaces of the second stanchion section.
The stanchion of the subject first aspect of the present invention may be configured to work with any roof pitch, with any overhang of 5 inches or more (5 inch overhangs are typically the minimum, with the overhang being the distance of the facia board from the adjacentmost wall which supports the roof and as measured along the horizontal), or both, all while maintaining the portion of the stanchion which supports the cross-members in a vertical position or perpendicularly to a horizontal reference plane. Consider the situation where the stanchion is defined by an at least generally J-shaped structure and where the stanchion includes a facia board mounting bracket which may be fixed to the first facia board side surface and which has an aperture through which the longer leg of the J-shaped stanchion may slidably extend. By allowing the longer leg of the J-shaped stanchion to slide through this aperture in the mounting bracket until the shorter leg of the xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d engages the second rafter edge surface of one of the rafters, and by thereafter allowing the stanchion to be secured to or maintained in a fixed position relative to the mounting bracket (e.g., via the above-noted clamping-like action), it can be seen that the stanchion of the subject first aspect may be used with any roof pitch. At most a change in pitch of the roof will only change the distance which the longer leg of the xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d extends vertically beyond the uppermost surface of the facia board. Selecting an appropriate radius for the arcuate portion of the J-shaped structure of the stanchion in the above-described configuration, or the distance between the first and second stanchion sections, further facilitates the use of the stanchion with any roof pitch, as well as having a third stanchion section of suitable length. However, this also allows the stanchion to be used on roofs having different facia board heights (the vertical dimension of the facia board), different overhang widths, or both. In one embodiment, the radius of the arcuate portion of the noted J-shaped structure is about 3.75 inches, which allows the stanchion to be used on any roof having an overhang of at least 5 inches.